New DARPA program seeks performers for transient electronics demonstration

The sophisticated electronics used by war-fighters in everything from radios, remote sensors and even phones can now be made at such a low cost that they are pervasive throughout the battlefield. These electronics have become necessary for operations, but it is almost impossible to track and recover every device. At the end of operations, these electronics are often found scattered across the battlefield and might be captured by the enemy and re-purposed or studied to compromise DoDs strategic technological advantage.

This might be good for certain things, but if not done well, it creates a logistical nightmare of constantly having to resupply front line troops of things they already had. They shouldn’t be made to just decompose over time, but maybe to decompose when an electrical current is no longer going through the device. That way, if it is not lost, and is plugged back into power, it will not decompose. Only lost items would.

” At the end of operations, these electronics are often found scattered across the battlefield and might be captured by the enemy and re-purposed or studied to compromise DoDs strategic technological advantage.”

I think the enemy would buy them from China before the battle to get a head start.

It would seem to me, that each device could have a container of thermite on board, and when signaled, could set it off. Just imagine how much DARPA funding that could be saved if they simply followed my idea. If for some reason, we lost contact with the device, and it did not receive a signal from us for a set period of time, something like a few hours, it would set itself off. Also, any attempt at tampering with the device would also result in the thermite being triggered.

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